Method of opening and closing gates by weight of the carriage



J- A. AYRES.

Automatic Gate.

Nor 22,845. Patented Feb. 8, 1859.

m x x J. A. AYRES, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

OF OPENING AND CLOSING GATES BY WEIGHT OF TI IE CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,845, dated February 8, 1859.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, J. A. Arnns, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Automatic or Self-Operating Gate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which -l*ligure 1., is a longitudinal, vertical and cfmtml 3 1. 09, y invention. Fi 2 a ran verse vertical.

Sim lar letters of reference lndlcate corre spending parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in thatclass of automatic or self-operating gatesin whichamovable or vibrating plat form is employed and actuated in the first instance, by the gravity of the vehicle or team in approaching the gate, the platform being connected with the gate by mechanism, so as to open and close the same as it rises and falls.

The invention is an improvement on an automatic gate for which Letters Patent, bearing date January 22, 1856, were granted to me.

The object of the within described invention is to obviate the ditficulty hitherto attending all gates of this class, to wit, the opening of the same, by animals passing on the plat-form, an objection which has rendered these gates almost useless, and further, without any extraneous fastening, in preventing the gate after being opened from closing, until the vehicle or team has passed entirely through it.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents acarriage way, and B, B, are two posts which are placed, one at each side of the carriage way. To each post a half-gate C is hung in the usual way, the gate being formed of two parts, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The inner post a, of each part of the gate extends down through a curved slot Z), in a framing or sill 0, see Fig. 2, and into a box or chamber D, below the gate. This box or chamber may be walled with masonry or timber. It extends the whole width of the carriage way and may be of any requis1te length.

The box or chamber D, is covered by a platform E, which is formed of two parts (1,.(Z, each part being constructed of two or more longitudinal beams e, planlred on their upper surface, the outer ends of the beams being fitted in sockets f, and the inner ends of the two parts (Z, (Z, being connected by joints or hinges g. The two parts (Z, (Z, of the platform are allowed to work up and down like a toggle, and transversely within the box or chamber a shaft F, is placed, said shaft having two collars G, G, placed loosely upon it. To each collar G, an arm H, is attached, said arms extending from 'oppositesides ofthe collars and having each a weight I, on one end. The opposite ends of these arms are connected by rods J, with oncof the parts (Z, of the platform and near its inner end. The rods J, being pivoted both to the amen, H, and to the platform. The weights I, I, are sufficiently heavy to more than counterpoise the platform that is to say they preponderate and keep the platform E, elevated when the latter is not actuated by any extraneous force or power.

As previously stated the inner posts a, extend down into the box or chamber D, and a rod 7a, is connected to the lower end of each posta. These rods pass loosely through eyes i, 2', at the upper ends of arms K, K, attached to the collars Gr G, andthe upper ends of the arms K, K, bear against spiral springs j, j, which are placed on the rods h, 71., the outer ends of the springs bearing against pins 72, which pass transversely through the rods 71, h. This will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. 1.

To each side of the box or chamber D, at its upper parta drop bar L, is attached. Both of these bars are shown in Fig. 2. They are attached by joints or pivots Z, to the sides of the box or chamber and have a tendency to drop or fall by their own gravity. The drop bars have their outer ends fitted between pendent guides M, M. The drop bars L, L, are directly over the rods h, h, and the latter have notches a, made in them to receive said bars when the platform is elevated.

lVithin the box or chamber D, at each side of it, a jointed bar M, is placed. These levers have their joints at their centers, as shown at 0, and they have their fulcra at- 79. The outer ends of the levers are connected by pivots to traverse bars N, N, each of which has two upright arms 7, 'r,

attached to it, said arms projecting upward through the parts (Z, (Z, of the platform near their outer ends.

The operation is as follows :Suppose for instance, the two parts C, C, of the gate to be closed. The weights I, I, keep the platform E, elevated, and consequently the gate in a closed state. The weights 1, I, act on the posts a, of the gate through the medium of the arms K, K, springs j, and rods it. The drop bars L, L, it will be seen serve as catches and prevent the rods h, from being acted upon by the arms K. If therefore these bars L, be not raised, the platform E, might be depressed and made to assume a perfect plane without actuating the rods h, and consequently the parts 0, C, of the gate, for the arms K, would merely compress the springs y. In order therefore to open the gate, the bars L, L, are raised and this is done by the wheels of the vehicle, which pass over the upright arms 7', 1", and actuate the levers M, causing them to throw up the bars L, L, free from the notches 12, thereby allowing the weight of the vehicle to depress the platform and causing it through the medium of the rods J, arms H, and K, springs j, and rods 71, to open the two parts 0, C, of the gate. As the .vehicle passes through the gate it of course keeps the platform depressed and prevents the two parts of the gate from closing. the platform the gates are closed by the weights I. Thus it will be seen that animals cannot open the gate by passing on the platform as the upright arms 1', r, first require to be depressed. Neither is there any fastening required to secure the gate in an As the vehicle passes off out raising the drop bars, for in the latter case the springs j, are only compressed.

The invention is extremely simple and efficient and completely obviates the objections hitherto attending this class of automatic gates.

Ido not claim broadly or irrespective of construction and arrangement a loaded or balanced platform connected by mechanism to a gate for the purpose set forth, for such device has been previously used; but

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is,

1. The counterpoised or loaded platform E, formed of two parts (Z, (Z, connected by joints or hinges g, and placed in the carriage way A, beneath the gate and extending a requisite distance at either side of it, when said platform is connected by suitable mechanism with the gate substantially as described, to operate said gate as and for the purpose set forth.

2. I further claim in connection with the platform E, the locking device formed of the drop bars L, L, the jointed levers M, M, connected with the bars N, N, which are provided with the upright arms r, 1", extending upward through the platform, the whole being arranged to operate conjointly as and for the purpose set forth.

J. A. AYRES. lVitnesses C. V. SHIPMAN, H. K. N. VVELOH. 

